Eau Claire, WI – In a quickly lopsided game, the Express found themselves in the Win column, beating the Minot Hot Tots 13-8.
The game was close through 4 innings, as the Hot Tots jumped out to the early 3-0 lead. Eau Claire quickly answered back to the tres with 3 of their own. With the game knotted up going into the bottom of the 5th, it looked as though an offensive shootout would be in order.
Any hopes of a back-and-forth were quickly dashed in the bottom of the 5th though, when the Express exploded with scoring.
A 9-run campaign began with the selective eyes of Reed Latimer. With 4 walks, 2 HBPs, and 5 hits, the Express did their part, putting their foot on the gas and starting a scoring train. The first big chunk of runs came on a 3-RBI double by Ryan Nagelbach (UIC). This blast, paired with a handful of singles put Eau Claire in position to bat through their order in the inning.
After the 5th, things looked dire for Minot. The Hot Tots were determined to not go down quietly, as they battled back with a 5-run top of the 9th. These runs proved only to pad the stats of the blue teams’ bats though,
The pitching featured a bend-but-don’t-break performance for the Eau Claire arms. Tyler Schmitt (UW-La Crosse) started off the game, giving up 3 in the 2nd. The meat of the game was chewed through by Tayler Montiel. He found himself with his back against the wall in two separate innings but twice worked his way out of these jams via Express Double Plays. Ray Cantelo (Lewis), Ricky Apodaca (Minot State) and Kellan Short (UW-La Crosse) came in to finish the game, eventually bringing the score to 13-8.
The Express will be back in action tomorrow, in their Thursday matchup vs. the same Tots squad. First pitch will come at 6:35 pm CT and the game will again be held at Carson Park. Stop on out to the ballpark to celebrate Hawaii Night with us. Be sure to don your favorite Hawaiian shirt and swing by the game. Who knows, there may even be a free lei in store for those dressed for the occasion!
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The Eau Claire Express are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Now in its’ 30th season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 24 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff, over 325 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (NYM), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2021 All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. League games are viewable live at watchnwl.com and on ESPN+. For more information, visit www.eauclaireexpress.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Express as your favorite team.